Thought we would start the day with some players that I think are worth watching this spring. See below:

Yankees

Mark Malencon – will the Yanks take the leap of faith and give him a bullpen role? Edwar Ramirez sore shoulder, although unfortunate, gives him a leg up. NYBD caught up with Mark back in August.

Phil Coke – Now that Girardi has indicated that he is a reliever does that make him a pen favorite? You have Marte already, would they go with two lefties? Hearing that Coke can be the “long man” makes me think he has a great shot.

Nick Swisher – Obviously he is going to make the team, but how much he plays is up in the air. You hear great things about his impact on the clubhouse, let’s see if he can work his way into the centerfield discussion.

Brett Gardner/Melky Cabrera – Will either play well enough so we don’t have to hear “he isn’t your traditional Yankees centerfielder”? Cabrera is out of options so he has the leg up. What if both play really well in the spring? It’s going to be a hard decision for General Joe.

Jorge Posada- Quite simply all I am concerned about is how he is throwing. I doubt we will see a huge decline offensively, especially after taking a full year off.

Mets

Bobby Parnell – I erroneously didn’t put him seriously into the bullpen mix. I figured with all the lefties, Tim Redding, and Stokes out of options that Parnell was headed for a starting assignment in AAA. Early returns are that he is looking good in workouts. Having JJ Putz mentor the split finger fastball doesn’t hurt either.

Livan Hernandez – The news that Freddy Garcia hasn’t impressed and Tim Redding is behind gives the signing of Hernandez more validity. We know he can give the team innings, but will they be quality?

Bobby Kielty - His role with the 2007 Red Sox gets overlooked a bit. The injury last year set him back so you can’t hold 2008 against him. Any player that can hit .300 as a right handed batter has to be taken seriously. Of course, Fernando Tatis has a bench role and the need for a defensive replacement might supersede Kielty’s bat.

Luis Castillo & Marlon Anderson - The “weight watchers” club must show that they still have something left. They have guaranteed contracts, which always helps, but will the combined 40 lost pounds allow them to regain their productivity? In Castillo’s case will he be able to regain any lateral movement?

These are just some players that I will be watching. What about you? Have any other names to offer?

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: New York Mets, New York Yankees